Badgers move up the league with a win at home to Cadbury Athletic

A bitterly cold night warmed by a much needed win.

Saturday 17th March 2018
Brocton 3 Cadbury Athletic 0

On an extremely wintry afternoon at Silkmore Lane, the Badgers moved 6 points clear of the relegation zone with a much-needed victory. The game began in a blizzard with Brocton playing into a gale force wind. Joe Hartshorne saw a shot blocked by the Chocolatemen defence in the 4th minute. Two minutes later, Brocton were in front, Sam Garbett shooting on the turn past Fraser Oliver giving he Cadbury keeper no chance. Garbett almost scored a second in the 13th minute, his shot being turned behind. From the resulting corner delivered by Ben Douglas, Adam Wood was off target from a free header. Cadbury’s first effort came from Alex Tesfom whose looping header dropped just over Connor McCarthy’s crossbar. In the 22nd minute, Cadbury had a great chance to level when Dean Lea was in space in front of goal but when the ball was played in, he missed his kick and the chance went begging. He was made to pay with devastating effect as The Badgers doubled their lead in the 24th minute. Hartshorne beat two defenders on the right hand side of the box and his shot was half-stopped by Oliver but he couldn’t keep it out. Oliver came to his side’s rescue minutes later when a short back pass almost let in Lee Osborne but Oliver cleared off the striker’s toes. Osborne went close when he clipped the bar after an excellent ball from Jack Edwards. Lea was just off target as Cadbury looked for a way back into the game. Just before the break, an excellent cross from Lea found Odane Barnes but he couldn’t turn it home.
Two minutes after the break, Cadbury almost pulled a goal back when Brett Lloyd rattled the bar from distance. Hartshorne had a great chance for Brocton but somehow the Cadbury defence managed to block his close-range effort. Close control from Edwards saw him get to the byline and from the tightest of angles, his shot was cleared off the line by Lloyd. The weather was impacting on the game with both sides having to battle the wind and the difficult snow-covered surface. In the 73rd minute, a shot from Andrew Cooper took a deflection and went out for a corner to Cadbury. The woodwork came to Brocton’s aid again in the 78th minute when James Douglas found space and his shot cannoned off the outside of the post. Barnes fired the ball across the face of the Badgers goal and Lea connected well but his shot was straight at McCarthy. Brocton settled it three minutes from time when Ross Clarke played the ball into the box from the left-hand touchline and it flew past Oliver and into the net. In the final minute, Kyle King should have scored for the visitors, but his shot was over the bar.
Brocton: Connor McCarthy, Harry Phillips, Ben Douglas, Ross Clarke, Shaan Stuart, Adam Wood (Henry Smith 87), Sam Garbett (Declan Arber 45), Joe Hartshorne, Jack Edwards (Robbie Thelwell 66), Lee Osborne, Tom Vaughan. Subs not used: Kenny Devoir, Joel Powell
Cadbury Athletic: Fraser Oliver, Deon Cobstock, Brett Lloyd, Samuel Delaney, Joe Savin, Andrew Cooper, Matthew Warman (James Douglas 45), Lewis Kemp (Jay D’Lionga 70), Odane Barnes, Dean Lea, Alex Tesfom (Kyle King 77). Subs not used: Lewis Cosgrove
Report courtesy of Gary Hazlehurst